Russia rejects US missile proposal US urges more talks! Russia''s done talking! What if anything will change under Obama?

Russia rejects US missile proposal US urges more talks! Russia''s done talking! What if anything will change under Obama?



A few days ago I said that U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has made "no commitment" to plans for a missile defense program in eastern Europe, despite a report on the Polish president's Web site, an Obama adviser said Saturday. Obama spoke to President Lech Kaczynski over the phone about continuing military and political cooperation between the two countries and possibly meeting in person soon, both sides said. Obama "had a good conversation with the Polish president and the Polish prime minister about the important U.S.-Poland alliance," said Denis McDonough, Obama's senior foreign policy adviser.

However, Kaczynski's office says on its Web site that during the same conversation, Obama told Kaczynski that he intends to continue plans for a missile shield in eastern Europe. Obama's adviser denied the report. "President Kaczynski raised missile defense, but President-elect Obama made no commitment on it. His position is as it was throughout the campaign: that he supports deploying a missile defense system when the technology is proved to be workable," McDonough said.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Obama also had a phone conversation and agreed to meet soon. "During the discussion, both sides emphasized that relations between Russia and the USA are priority ones for both parties and that their positive development is crucial not only for the peoples of the two countries but also for the wider international community," a statement from the Kremlin said. Obama advisor says no commitment

I thought Obama would quell the war mongering situation started by Bush with Russia but I have my doubts! Moscow: Russia has rejected U.S. proposals seeking to ease its concerns about a missile defense system that Washington plans to deploy in Europe, local news agencies quoted a Kremlin source as saying Wednesday. "Russia is ready to cooperate with the United States on European security but considers the proposals that were sent are insufficient," Itar-Tass news agency quoted the unidentified source as saying.

"The current (U.S.) administration wants at any cost to ... exclude any discussion. In this way, the new U.S. president will carry the responsibility for what they have done," the official reportedly said. Tensions: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last week warned that Russia would put short-range Iskander missiles near Poland if the United States continued with the plans. Russia rejects missile cooperation

At the very least I believe Obama will negotiate and compromise hopefully involving Russia if the motive is honorable! However Obama and Medvedev are on a collision course thinks to Bush as Barack Obama had been president-elect for all of one day last week when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called him out, reminding many of vice president-to-be Joe Biden's warning that America's enemies would test the new president with an international crisis within six months.

* In his first state-of-the-nation address, Medvedev threatened to move short-range missiles to Russia's borders with NATO countries to counter America's plan to build a missile defense shield in Poland. Medvedev didn't congratulate Obama or mention him by name in his nationally televised 85-minute address, during which he blamed Washington for the war in Georgia and the world financial crisis and suggested it was up to Washington to mend badly damaged ties.

"It was a really unfortunate time to make this type of statement, just when Obama was elected," said Dimitri K. Simes, president of The Nixon Center and author of "After the Collapse: Russia Seeks Its Place as a Great Power." "It was a poor way to communicate the interest Russia has in the new beginning of the United States," Simes said. Obama spoke to Medvedev by phone on Saturday, and the Kremlin said Obama and Medvedev believe an "early bilateral meeting" should be arranged. Even so, the episode has raised questions about future relations between the two nations -- which are already strained after the Russian-Georgia conflict -- and what kind of threat a resurgent Russia will pose to the United States during Obama's presidency. Obama and Medvedev are on a collision course

This is just one of the numerous traps Bush has set for Obama and us as we attempt to proceed successfully into a peaceful prosperous future. God help us all!

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com